When is a beard, a beard?
by thehungrycaterpillar
Summary: Until 1980 it was illegal to be gay in Scotland, and Magical Laws were no kinder. Young witches and wizards wishing to explore their sexuality had to do so in secrecy. Young Lily Evans and James Potter were no different.


**FLASH FORWARD BEGINS**

 _~The Potter and Evans family cordially invite you to the wedding of Mr James Potter and Miss Lily Evans, on the first of May, location to be confirmed.~_

At first, when the invitation arrived, Narcissa could hardly believe it, or more accurately, she didn't want to.

Though the news was not news at all to her, Narcissa could feel the boiling tears of rage spilling down her cheeks before she had even realised she was crying at all. Months of hard work, containing every feeling she had, rationalising the plan she, Lily, Sirius and James had made, it all fell apart in that moment.

 **FLASH FORWARD ENDS**

Lily Evans' first year at Hogwarts went without a hitch, but returning back for her second year felt different. James had written and sent clippings from the Daily Prophet over the summer, they all professed a worrying incline in support for the Pureblood supremacist group "The Death Eaters". Lily didn't know much about this group or really what made some blood apparently purer, and others dirty.

While Severus and Lily had been close during their younger years, he pretended to be out every time Lily came knocking over that summer. It became painfully apparent to her that this friendship was coming to an end. Lily had wondered if it was perhaps something she had said, or if maybe Severus was listening to these Death Eaters, whoever they were. She soon put the thought out of her head, Severus had been a good friend to her. He would talk to her when he was ready.

The summer trickled by slowly, Lily read every textbook from Hogwarts cover to cover, and even visited Flourish and Blotts before she was due to get her school supplies. Being at home with her family was nice but isolating, they didn't understand anything about magic.

Scanning the shelves, she was on a mission. Lily was determined to know more about this group of people who had decided they were somehow better than her. Eventually she found some interesting looking books on the subject, "The Dark Arts And Notable Dark Wizards :- When Wizardry and Witchcraft Go Wrong, A Brief History" and "Blood is Blood:- The Pureblood Supremacy Myth"

She dropped the two hefty books on the counter, dust flying off in all directions. The Sales Assistant gave her a strange look.

"Heavy reading for someone so young." he remarked, frowning while retrieving a box of Flourish and Blotts Waterproof Wrap.

"I can carry them!" Lily replied indignantly, searching through her change purse for the right coins.

"I meant the subject matter, I'm sure you're strong enough the carry the books." He chuckled, passing Lily her change.

"Oh, yes, well it's important to know about it." Lily said, smiling up at the man.

"Don't let the cruel words lay heavy on your heart." The man told her, worriedly running his hands through his greying hair, Lily smiled and waved on her way out.

It was September again, and Lily joined James, Remus, Sirius and Peter in the compartment she had stormed out of on that same day a year previous when James had poked fun at Severus. Having gotten to know James better over the course of the year that had followed, Lily knew that James was actually a very good natured person and they got along very well, and it wasn't like she could travel with Severus any more, who had sent her a note saying that he would be journeying back to Hogwarts with his fellow Slytherins.

For the majority of the train ride Lily stared out of the window. She couldn't help but think about the books she had read over the summer holidays. While she had never wanted to believe it, mounting proof pointed toward Severus being a Death Eater sympathiser. If she had had this thought a few months ago she might brush it off, but Lily knew the pressures of Severus' family and house. For him, it might be easier to blame people like Lily for his own problems. No matter how hard Severus tried, he was never as good at Potions as Lily.

Lily was on her way to her first Herbology class of the year when she saw Severus hanging around with older year Slytherins. She couldn't believe that Severus was missing class to skulk about with people he probably didn't even like to seem cool.

"Sev! Don't you have class?" Lily called to Severus, as she was walking past.

The group turned to look at her, Severus glared sneeringly at her but said nothing until an older blond boy muttered angrily in his ear. The girls tittered as Severus pushed his way through to the front, past the older Slytherins.

"Listen Lily, not everyone is a swotty little mudblood like you, so why don't you get to class and stop worrying about me." He hissed, chest puffed up.

Raucous laughter ensued from the group apart from one timid girl at the back, who looked panicked and distressed but did nothing to stop what was going on.

The initial adrenaline that had pulsed through Severus in saying those words vanished as soon as they left his mouth, the regret was clear on his face but it was too late, Lily's hurt was tangible to everyone there.

"I know you're only ashamed of your own blood heritage, Severus, which is why you attacked mine, but at least I'm not pretending. I'm sure your Dark Lord has a position for you though, maybe shovelling Thestral droppings, as you're a half-blood?" Lily growled back, meeting Severus' horrified stare.

"Get out of my way-!" screeched one of the girls from the back, pushing past Severus and grabbing Lily by the throat, forcing her to the wall "Respect your superiors!"

She spat at Lily, releasing Lily's throat only to press her wand into the skin of the throat. A tear fell from Lily's face as the heat from the tip of the wand burned her. Severus watched on in horror as Lily was branded like his mother had been so many times by his muggle father, who used cigarettes and cigars instead of a wand.

Lily stared back into the eyes of the girl who was attacking her and was surprised to find she was crying. It occurred to her that at least half of this group didn't seem to want to be doing this at all.

The blond boy who had instigated the whole affair pulled the girls apart, and leaned down to talk to Lily.

"Don't ever speak to Severus again, girl. He's not answerable for his blood traitor mother's decision to marry a mudblood. He has magical blood within him and the Dark Lord rewards all those who have magical heritage and are loyal to him. The moment he disowns his family for good he will be at the Dark Lord's side, like every other true servant, and he will always be above you. Never forget that." He told her calmly, and flicked the fresh burn on her neck, before turning around with his group and walking off down towards the lake.

Lily froze there for a while, unable to believe what had happened, before dashing to the girls toilets. She hadn't cried the whole time they were there, but now alone it was a very different story. She let the tears pour from her eyes and stared at herself mournfully in the mirror, she could see the burn now clear as day, deep red and blistering. She didn't care that these strangers hated her, and clearly wanted her dead, all she could think about was every day she spent with Severus on the riverbank, and how she would never get that time back.

The door creaked open and Lily went straight for her wand, and brandished it at the girl.

"Please! Don't curse me!" the girl called out to Lily, hiding half behind the door.

"I won't." Lily said dejectedly, who then went to sit in one of the sink basins.

The girl entered the room and Lily jumped up.

"No! Please, wait! I'm not here to hurt you." The girl pleaded as Lily went for her wand again.

The girl who had come into the bathroom was one of the same from the group outside, the nervous looking one at the back.

"What do you want?" Lily asked the girl "And who are you?"

"My name is Narcissa and I'm so sorry I didn't want that to happen, and neither did Dromeda, she would never do that I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry" the girl cried out hysterically.

Lily desperately wanted to fight to stay angry with this girl, but she couldn't, she just wanted to make things okay.

"Who is Dromeda? Please stop crying, it's all over now" Lily said, she felt bizarre that she was comforting this girl when she had been the one attacked, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

Lily reached forward and tucked the sweeping curtain of hair covering Narcissa's face behind her ear, which in turn only made her cry more, they stood together awkwardly until Narcissa stopped crying enough to explain the situation to Lily.

"Dromeda, Andromeda Black, she's my sister, the girl that attacked you, but it wasn't her. You have to know that, she would never hurt anyone! She's a good sister and a good person, but mother and father found out that she was engaged to Teddy. He's a Gryffindor, and a muggleborn like you, and they were so angry they almost stopped her coming back to school for her last year. I managed to convince them to let her come back, but ever since she has Lucius has been casting the Imperius on her. She has to do whatever he wants. It was him, he wanted her to attack you."

Narcissa reached into her pocket and retrieved a small blue potion bottle, and placed it in Lily's hand.

"We're so sorry, Dromeda is going mad, and she can't stand much more. This is for you, put it on the burn every night for a week and it will be gone at the end." Narcissa finished quickly.

Lily couldn't believe what she was hearing, she knew that Pureblood families could be bad, but she never knew it could be this awful.

Narcissa turned to leave but Lily caught her by her hand.

"Thank you for helping me understand, please tell your sister that I forgive her, and I forgive you." Lily said, and Narcissa's eyes immediately filled with tears.

Narcissa hesitated for a moment, and then turned around and hugged Lily close. Narcissa being a much older and larger girl completely engulfed Lily's petite frame in the hug, for a moment Lily did nothing, and then hugged back.

"Anything you ever need, please ask me." Narcissa said as she left finally.


End file.
